Mateo 3
1 Le ŋkeke mawo me la, Yohanes Mawutsidetanamela dze mawunyagbɔgblɔ gɔme le Yudea gbedzi. Nyati si dzi wòtu eƒe mawunyawo ɖo lae nye,
Some time later John the Baptist appeared on the scene, proclaiming in the Judean desert,
2 “Midzudzɔ nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ, mitrɔ ɖe Mawu ŋuti, elabena dziƒofiaɖuƒe la gogo.”
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has arrived!”
3 Ame sia ŋutie woƒo nu le to Nyagblɔɖila Yesaya dzi be, “Gbe aɖe le ɖiɖim le gbegbe bena, ‘Midzra Aƒetɔ la ƒe mɔ la ɖo, eye mita mɔ dzɔdzɔewo nɛ!’”
He was the one Isaiah spoke about when he said, “A voice is heard crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord. Make the paths straight for him.’”
4 Ke kposɔfu le Yohanes ƒe awu si wòdo la ŋu, eye wòtsɔ lãgbalẽlidziblaka tsɔ bla awua dzii; eƒe nuɖuɖue nye ʋetsuviwo kple gbemenyitsi.
John had clothes made of camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Ame geɖewo tso Yerusalem, eye bubuwo hã tso Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe gowo dzi kple Yudea nutowo me godoo va afi si Yohanes nɔ mawunya gblɔm le la be yewoaɖo toe.
People came to him from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and the entire Jordan region,
6 Esi ameawo ʋu woƒe nu vɔ̃wo me la, ede mawutsi ta na wo le Yɔdan tɔsisi la me.
and were baptized in the Jordan River, publicly admitting their sins.
7 Ke esi Yohanes kpɔe be Farisitɔwo kple Zadukitɔ geɖewo hã va be wòade mawutsi ta na yewo la, egblɔ na wo be, “Mi dawo ƒe dzidzimeviwo! Ame kae gblɔ na mi be miate ŋu asi le Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe kple tohehe si gbɔna la nu?
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, “You vipers' brood! Who warned you to run away from the coming judgment?
8 Miɖee fia to miaƒe agbe nyui nɔnɔ me be mietrɔ dzi me vavã.
Show by what you do that you have truly repented,
9 Migabui ne mianɔ gbɔgblɔm na mia ɖokuiwo be, ‘Mía fofoe nye Abraham’ o. Mele egblɔm na mi be Mawu ate ŋu ana kpe siawo natrɔ azu viwo na Abraham.
and don't presume to say proudly to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God could make children of Abraham from these stones.
10 Le gaƒoƒo sia me ŋutɔ gɔ̃ hã la, woɖo ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ ƒe fia atiwo ƒe kewo dzi: ati sia ati si metse ku nyui o la, woalãe aƒu anyi, eye woatsɔe ade dzo me.
In fact the ax is ready to chop down the trees. Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
11 “Nye la, metsɔ tsi le mawutsi dem ta na mi ame siwo trɔ dzi me, gake ame aɖe gbɔna, ame si de ŋgɔ wum sãa ale gbegbe be nyemedze be manye eƒe subɔla gɔ̃ hã o. Eya atsɔ Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la kple dzo ade tsi ta na mi.
Yes, I baptize you in water to show repentance, but after me is coming one who is greater than I am. I'm not worthy even to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 Elé eƒe lugbɔnu ɖe asi. Akplɔ eƒe lugbɔƒe ƒiaƒiaƒia, alɔ lu la ɖe eƒe ava me. Ke atɔ dzo tsroa kple dzo matsimatsi.”
He has his winnowing tool ready in his hand. He will clean up the threshing floor and gather the wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn the chaff with fire that can't be put out.”
13 Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Yesu hã tso le Galilea va Yɔdan tɔsisi la to be Yohanes nade mawutsi ta na ye,
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
14 gake Yohanes medi be yeade tsi la ta nɛ o, ke boŋ egblɔ nɛ be, “Medze be nye made mawutsi ta na wò o. Nye boŋ wòle be nàde mawutsi ta na.”
But John tried to change his mind. He told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me to baptize you?”
15 Yesu gblɔ nɛ be, “Meɖe kuku, de mawutsi ta nam ko, elabena ele nam be mawɔ nu siwo katã woɖo da ɖi la.” Ale Yohanes lɔ̃ de mawutsia ta nɛ.
“Please do so, because it's good for us to do what God says is right,” Jesus told him. So John agreed to do it.
16 Esi wòde mawutsi ta nɛ vɔ, eye wònɔ go dom le tsia me la, dziƒo nu ʋu, eye Yesu kpɔ Mawu ƒe Gbɔgbɔ le akpakpa ƒe nɔnɔme me, wònɔ ɖiɖim ɖe edzi.
Immediately after he was baptized, Jesus came out of the water. The heavens were opened, and he saw God's Spirit like a dove descending, landing on him.
17 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me tututu la, gbe aɖe ɖi tso dziƒo be, “Wòe nye vinye si gbɔ nyemelɔ̃a nu le o, wò me mekpɔa ŋudzedze lena.”
A voice from heaven said, “This is my son whom I love, who pleases me.”
